A new pair of phenethylamine research chems have been making waves lately since their appearance in 2010 through research chemical distributors. Known casually as “N-Bombs” or “Smiles” and technically as 25-I-NBOMe / 25-C-NBOMe (or 2C-I-NBOMe / 2C-C-NBOMe respectively), these 2C-I and 2C-C relatives are potent psychedelics which are active in the microgram dose range (under 1mg). This dose range is more traditionally considered “the realm of LSD” as far as hallucinogens and psychedelics go, and with a timeline and effects set that is considered comparable in ways to LSD it’s no surprise that certain areas and communities have encountered dealers presenting these unpronounceable new chemicals simply as “new acid”, “synthetic mescaline”, as well as the somewhat more clear “Smiles.”
The photo above shows blotter paper carrying 25-I-NBOMe, ordered in this form over the internet and obviously in a form that could be confused with LSD blotter. (Of course, DOI/DOB have also been sold on blotter as fake acid for some time now.)
Here’s some background information: 25-I is generally described as more visual than 25-C and sometimes more difficult to handle, psychologically and physically. These drugs are active at less than half a miligram and often overwhelming at 1mg+. (dose especially strong intranasally, which is the route of administration that has been most linked to hospitalizations and lethal overdoses). Somewhat bitter. Definitely psychedelic in effects, can pass as acid to the inexperienced.
Fairly easy to obtain and quite cheap. Presents serious risk due to improper dosing (some users report that the same dose on the same person can have widely varying degrees of effects at different times), availability has caused many people to attempt laying blotter who probably shouldn’t and miscalculate the dosage of each.
Although a fair number of people have had safe and enjoyable experiences with these chemicals, hospitalizations and deaths have been reported . It is definitely possible to have a lethal overdose situation, at least in the case of 25-I-NBOMe, and at present there is no information available as to what the LD50 “standard toxic dosage” is for a human being.
Timeline of effects is fairly close to that of LSD, a definite advantage over the DO* series.
These psychedelic stimulants are classified as phenethylamines, and not amphetamines, therefore not subject to the Canadian Controlled Drugs & Substances Acts clause regarding analogues of amphetamine. 25-I-NBOMe is more popular and widespread than 25-C-NBOMe, hence the perceived greater danger may simply be due to more cases of the first having been tried out at all.
These chemicals are not particularly active orally and have mainly been consumed sublingually (under the tongue or against the gums), which is also the reason people have attempted intranasal ingestion which is seemingly unusual for what they may have been sold as an “LSD-like” drug. When complexed with the sugar HPbCD (hydroxy propyl beta cyclodextrin), N-Bombs can gain some oral bioavailability and greater sublingual bioavailability. (How much more is the subject of debate).
More images of 25-I-NBOMe and 2C-I-NBOMe as powder, blotter, and in other forms are available on Erowid, with new ones appearing regularly. (The drugs have also been distributed diluted into liquid.) As with any research chems, tread especially carefully if you encounter or suspect you have encountered these drugs and are considering consuming them. As previously stated, the effects can be unpredictable even when a user consumes the same amount of the same batch that they previously had, and the only real research having been done on these drugs has been “in-the-wild” user reports.
If you have any information pertaining to these drugs, especially related to Canada, feel free to contact us via info@tripproject.ca or http://www.facebook.com/tripproject or http://www.twitter.com/tripproject 🙂